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Great Wall Of China ‘Repaired’ By Destroying Guard Towers: Sections Of Wall Resemble Skateboarding Lane Due To Botched Restoration

By Patrick Frye
Published on: 08:37 PST, Sep 23, 2016

A large section of the Great Wall of China now resembles a crude urban skateboarding lane after restoration team flattened historic features of the monument and slathered a white substance resembling concrete on top. Chinese officials responsible for the botched restoration are bearing the brunt of the outraged public after the 700-year-old section of the wall was clearly ruined in the name of preservation.

While the shoddy and utterly disgraceful restoration job of the Great Wall of China was done about two years ago, photos of the section were recently released by a local newspaper, showing how a 1.2-mile stretch, fondly remembered as the “wild wall,” was unabashedly smoothened and completely robbed of its historic significance. The 700-year-old stretch of the wall that once had ornate crenellations, towers, and parapets overlooking cliffs and meadows now stands with a smooth white substance poured over its surface, completely obscuring the crumbling, weathered stones, shared Mr. Liu, who helped draw attention to the work.

“It’s like a head that’s lost its nose and ears. Once the towers there had stone carvings, but they had fallen to the ground before the repairs. They didn’t restore the carvings back to where they belonged and just tossed them aside. They used new bricks to fill in the original spots, and that saved a lot of expense.”

The shoddy restoration has completely erased all of the iconic landmark’s character, complain Chinese preservationists, internet users, and media commentators. Great Wall of China Society Deputy Director Dong Yaohui echoed the sentiments of many when he said that “repairing [the wall] like this has wiped out all the culture and history.”

The section of the Great Wall of China was one of the most unkempt. However, the restoration has made it look like a cement skateboarding lane set up in the wilderness.

Cultural preservation officials responsible for what is being called one of the worst preservation projects in history argued they had to act quickly since the section had become extremely unstable. Unless the repair job was done quickly, the wall could have collapsed, taking tourists with it. Officials swear they never used modern-day cement, but instead, used a mix of lime and sand.

The head of the Liaoning Provincial Antiquities Bureau, Ding Hui, revealed the questionable restoration of the Great Wall of China, which took place over the source of three months, was completed two years ago. The project was part of a grand restoration plan etched by the Chinese government to strengthen the architectural marvel that was built between the fifth century B.C. and the 16th century.

While the restorers might have used similar materials that were once used in the construction of the wall, it doesn’t hide the fact that the wall now looks like a crude stretch of sidewalk, replete with curbstones. Furthermore, defensive works and guard towers, which once offered a glimpse of ancient China and its military prowess, were simply knocked flat as part of the project.

The Great Wall of China was built in a succession of walls that span about 4,000 miles. The construction of the wall was commissioned by the powerful Ming dynasty. The structure was supposed to offer protection from nomadic tribes and enemies.

Since the construction spanned several centuries, the wall is quite old in some sections, while many others are still intact. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage confirmed it received several complaints and has promised to “look into what happened.”

The agency assured, “there will be no indulgence or conniving,” and added, “Preserving the Great Wall is a sacred and unshirkable duty of all cultural relics’ workers.”

While the wild wall section of Great Wall of China might resemble a skate park, tourists can walk on the monument with ease, without fearing about crumbling pieces, quipped optimistic villagers.

[Featured Image by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images]

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